Replication of content to one or more servers

ABSTRACT

An approach is provided to automatically replicate content to certain servers in a networking environment based on, amongst other metrics, location of third parties accessing information in a social networking environment. The approach includes obtaining content from a user within a networked environment and analyzing information of one or more third parties that have access to the networked environment and who have an association with the user. The approach further includes replicating the content to one or more servers within the networked environment based on the analyzed information of the one or more third parties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to replica of data, and moreparticularly, to methods and systems for automatic replica of content tocertain servers in a networking environment based on, amongst othermetrics, location of third parties accessing information in a socialnetworking environment.

BACKGROUND

Computer networking systems are fairly ubiquitous in today's society.These networking systems require vast amounts of storage space to holdcontent created and posted by the users. This content can range fromsimple text documents, to pictures and a host of other media types.

A subset of computing networking systems can include social networkswhich appear to be ever growing and the distribution of its usage beinginternational. Social network providers are increasing their capacityand distributing their content servers or caching servers throughout theworld to meet user's expectation of performance. The mechanism ofdistributing or replicating content is based on the location of the userwho is publishing or posting the content. Also, typically, the contentis published on all of the servers throughout the social network, e.g.,networking environment, generally without regard to storage space.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect of the invention, a method comprises obtaining contentfrom a user within a networked environment. The method further comprisesanalyzing information of one or more third parties that have access tothe networked environment and who have an association with the user. Themethod further comprises replicating the content to one or more serverswithin the networked environment based on the analyzed information ofthe one or more third parties.

In another aspect of the invention, a system is implemented in hardwareand comprises a replication engine implemented in at least one serverwithin a networking environment using a processing system. The at leastone server receives content from a first user, and the replicationengine analyzes information associated with third party users within thenetworking environment and provides instructions to replicate thecontent to one or more servers closest to the third party users based onthe analyzed information.

In another aspect of the invention, a computer program product comprisesa computer readable storage device having readable program code embodiedin the storage device and when executed on a computing system isoperable to: obtain content from a user; determine locations of thirdparty users wanting to retrieve the content; determine a nearest serverto each of the third party users wanting to retrieve the content; andreplicate the content for storage on the nearest server of each of thethird party users wanting to retrieve the content.

In another aspect of the invention, a computer system for replication ofcontent in a networked environment comprises a CPU, a computer readablememory and a computer readable storage media. The computer systemfurther comprises: program instructions to connect a user to a localserver; program instructions to upload content to either the localserver or a central server within a networked environment; programinstructions to query a replication engine that the content is uploadedto either the local server or the central server within a networkedenvironment; program instructions to provide a replication analysis bydetermining certain metrics of at least a plurality of third party usershaving access to the networked environment and that are associated withthe user; and program instructions to replicate the content to at leastone server that is nearest to the third party users based on thereplication analysis. Each of the program instructions are stored on thecomputer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via thecomputer readable memory.

In another aspect of the invention, a method of deploying a system forreplicating content in a networking environment comprises providing acomputer infrastructure, being operable to: obtain content from a userwithin a networked environment; analyze information of a plurality ofthird parties that have access to the networked environment and who havean association with the user; and replicate the content to a nearestserver to each of the plurality of third parties within the networkedenvironment based on the analyzed information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in the detailed description whichfollows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 depicts a hardware configuration according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of a replication engine in a networkingenvironment in accordance with aspects of the invention.

FIGS. 5a and 5b shows a visualization of interactions between serversand clusters of friends and/or followers, in accordance with aspects ofthe preset invention.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show exemplary flows in accordance with aspects of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention generally relates to replica of data, and moreparticularly, to methods and systems for automatic replica of content tocertain servers in a cloud environment based on, amongst other metrics,location of third parties accessing information in a social networkingenvironment. In more specific aspects of the present invention, thesystems and methods provide a mechanism for replicating the content inservers located nearest third parties (e.g., followers or friends of theuser) who are accessing information of a user. The replication ofcontent can be based on such metrics as: specific types of content whichare likely to be accessed by the third parties, specific servers atlocations nearest the third parties, as well as a host of other featuresas described herein.

As a further example, the methods and systems of the present inventionobtain location information of followers and friends, e.g., thirdparties associated with a particular user, as well as usage patterns ofthe third parties, e.g., types of information and data retrieved by thethird parties, patterns of traffic, etc. The methods and systems of thepresent invention can then use this information to replicate content(i.e., certain content from an originating user) to servers closest tothe third parties accessing such content, amongst other metrics andcriteria. In this way, it is no longer necessary to replicate data ateach datacenter in the cloud environment or social network.

Advantageously, the present invention increases performance of the cloudenvironment by, for example, decreasing retrieval times of third partyaccess to content, as well as reducing the replication of contentthroughout the cloud environment. For example, by implementing thesystems and methods of the present invention, there is no need toreplicate the content to every datacenter, e.g., server, thereby moreefficiently and effectively using storage space in the cloudenvironment.

It is understood in advance that although this disclosure includes adetailed description on cloud computing, implementations of theteachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud computingenvironment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable ofbeing implemented in conjunction with any other type of computingenvironment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as Follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email). Theconsumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructureincluding network, servers, operating systems, storage, or evenindividual application capabilities, with the possible exception oflimited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for loadbalancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure including a networkof interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic of an example of a cloud computingnode is shown. Cloud computing node 10 is only one example of a suitablecloud computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as tothe scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the inventiondescribed herein. Regardless, cloud computing node 10 is capable ofbeing implemented and/or performing any of the functionality set forthhereinabove.

In cloud computing node 10 there is a computer system/server 12, whichis operational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 12 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, handheld or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 12 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 12 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 1, computer system/server 12 in cloud computing node 10is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 12 may include, but are not limitedto, one or more processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28,and a bus 18 that couples various system components including systemmemory 28 to processor 16 (e.g., CPU). In embodiments, computersystem/server 12 includes or communicates with a replication engine 80as described in greater detail herein.

Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 12 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 12, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. Computer system/server 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein. Forexample, some or all of the functions of replication engine 80 may beimplemented as one or more program modules 42.

Additionally, replication engine 80 may be implemented as separatededicated processors or a single or several processors to provide thefunctionality described herein. The replication engine 80 can beimplemented in a processing system for analyzing information associatedwith third party users, and providing instructions to replicate contentof a first user on one or more servers closest to the third party users.More specifically, in embodiments, replication engine 80 performs one ormore of the processes described herein in any contemplated combination,including but not limited to determining:

-   -   preferences (profiles) of the user originating the content;    -   location of third parties in a cloud environment who are        previously requested content from the originating user;    -   usage patterns (e.g., historical patterns) of the third parties        or portions thereof;    -   preferences (profiles) of the third parties requesting content        from the user;    -   types of content that are retrieved by the third parties (i.e.,        types of files such as video files, pictures, etc.);    -   the location of servers that are nearest to the third parties;        and/or    -   what information should be replicated to certain servers based        on such considerations as load balancing, data type, data size,        etc.

Based on the above criteria, the processes of the present invention canreplicate certain information for storage at certain, predeterminedservers. For example, the replicating of the content takes intoconsideration the closest servers to the third parties wanting to viewthe posted content, and replicates the content to only such servers.Similarly, based on preferences of the third parties, the content can bereplicated to a location of any of the one or more servers nearest tothird parties that have a preference indicative of wanting to view thecontent. Similarly, based on historical usage patterns, the content canbe replicated to a location of any of the one or more servers nearest tothird parties that have historical usage patterns showing a patternindicative of wanting to view similar content to the content posted bythe user. This same or similar analysis and replication is provided forany of the examples provided herein.

Computer system/server 12 may also communicate with one or more externaldevices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.;one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computersystem/server 12; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system/server 12 to communicate with one or moreother computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output(I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system/server 12 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20communicates with the other components of computer system/server 12 viabus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 includes one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 2 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 3, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 2) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 3 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include mainframes, in oneexample IBM® zSeries® systems; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)architecture based servers, in one example IBM pSeries® systems; IBMxSeries® systems; IBM BladeCenter® systems; storage devices; networksand networking components. Examples of software components includenetwork application server software, in one example IBM WebSphere®application server software; and database software, in one example IBMDB2® database software. (IBM, zSeries, pSeries, xSeries, BladeCenter,WebSphere, and DB2 are trademarks of International Business MachinesCorporation registered in many jurisdictions worldwide).

Virtualization layer 62 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers;virtual storage; virtual networks, including virtual private networks;virtual applications and operating systems; and virtual clients.

In one example, management layer 64 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning provides dynamic procurement of computingresources and other resources that are utilized to perform tasks withinthe cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing provide costtracking as resources are utilized within the cloud computingenvironment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may include applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management providescloud computing resource allocation and management such that requiredservice levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planning andfulfillment provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of, cloudcomputing resources for which a future requirement is anticipated inaccordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 66 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation; software development and lifecycle management; virtualclassroom education delivery; data analytics processing; transactionprocessing; and data replication. In accordance with aspects of theinvention, the data replication workload/function operates to performone or more of the processes of the replication engine 80 describedherein, including but not limited to:

-   -   determine the preferences (profiles) of the user originating the        content;    -   determine the preferences (profiles) of the third parties        requesting the content;    -   determine the location of third parties in a cloud environment        who have requested/viewed content from the user, e.g., friends        and/or followers on a social network;    -   determine usage patterns of the third parties or portions        thereof;    -   determine types of content that are retrieved by the third        parties (i.e., types of files such as video files, pictures,        etc.);    -   determine the location of servers that are nearest to the third        parties;    -   determine whether certain thresholds have been met, e.g., a        certain amount or certain percentage of third parties are at a        certain location; and/or    -   replicate the data to certain servers.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention, including replication engine 80 and the functionalityprovided therein, may be embodied as a system, method or computerprogram product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may takethe form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely softwareembodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) oran embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this description, a computer readablestorage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store aprogram for use by or in connection with an instruction executionsystem, apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

Block Diagrams and Exemplary Operation

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of a replication engine in a networkingenvironment in accordance with aspects of the invention. Morespecifically, FIG. 4 shows a networking environment 75, which can be anysocial networking environment or cloud environment, accessible by users100, 100 a, 100 b, . . . 100 n. In embodiments, user 100 is theoriginator (poster) or publisher of content, and users 100 a, 100 b, . .. 100 n can be friends and/or followers of the user 100, wishing toobtain or view the content posted by user 100. The content originatingfrom user 100 can be stored on either a central server 200 or a localserver 300, depending on the rules and configuration of the networkingenvironment 75. As should be understood by those of skill in the art,the content can be any type of content including, but not limited to,video files, pictures, text, media, or other content, etc.

As shown in this exemplary illustration, both central server 200 andlocal server 300 are in communication with servers 200 a, 200 b, . . .200 n. In this way, content can be passed between and stored on anycombination of servers. In this exemplary configuration, central server200 includes replication engine 80; although, the present inventioncontemplates any combination of servers also including the replicationengine 80.

By using replication engine 80 in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention, information stored on any of the servers can be shared orreplicated on any combination of the servers taking into considerationthe different criteria set forth herein. For example, content stored onlocal server 300 can be replicated and stored on any of the servers 200a, 200 b, . . . 200 n, in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention. More specifically, in this exemplary illustration, contentoriginating from user 100 can be uploaded to either of central server200 or local server 300, depending on the particular rules ofenvironment 75. In any scenario, upon receipt of the content (from user100), replication engine 80 will make a determination (analysis) as towhich servers 200 a, 200 b, . . . 200 n will receive replicated content,originating from user 100. This determination can be made based on manydifferent combinations of factors including, for example:

-   -   which users 100 a, 100 b, . . . 100 n are friends and/or        followers of user 100;    -   the physical location of the friends and/or followers and a        nearest server 200 a, 200 b, . . . 200 n to the physical        location of the friends and/or followers;    -   the type of content which is being published by the originating        user, e.g., media, etc.;    -   the type of content which has previously been reviewed and/or        requested by the friends and/or followers (or other preferences        of the friends and/or followers);    -   historical usage patterns of the friends and/or followers;    -   whether certain thresholds have been met, e.g., a predetermined        number or percentage of friends and/or followers are located at        a certain location, near a certain server, access certain types        of information, etc.; and/or    -   other types of quantitative information such as, for example,        quality of servers, load balancing issues, quality of content        for each server, etc.

In the scenario that replication engine 80 is resident on central server200, local server 300 will query central server 200, i.e., replicationengine 80, in order to prompt replication engine 80 to provide the aboveanalysis. Upon such analysis/determination, replication engine 80 willdirect either central server 200 or local server 300 to replicate theappropriate content and provide such content to the appropriate server200 a, 200 b, . . . 200 n. The content can be saved on any of theservers, depending on the specific analyzed criteria and subsequentrules. In this way, the content does not have be replicated and storedon each and every server, thus more efficiently utilizing currentresources.

FIGS. 5a and 5b show a visualization of interactions between servers andclusters of friends and/or followers, in accordance with aspects of thepreset invention. In particular, FIGS. 5a and 5b show a visualization ofseveral clusters of users (e.g., friends and/or followers) 400 a, 400 b,. . . 400 n, interacting with one another and with respective servers200 a, 200 b, . . . 200 n within a networking environment. FIGS. 5a and5b also show a central server 200 and a local server 300. In thisexample, content from user 100 can be stored on local server 300. Thelocal server 300 can query the central server 200 to determinereplication and storage of content, e.g., on servers 200 a, 200 b, . . .200 n.

By way of illustrative non-limiting example, the replication engine candetermine that there is a heavy concentration of users 400 n, nearserver 200 n. The replication engine can then direct that the replicatedcontent be stored on server 200 n. In another illustrative non-limitingexample, the replication engine can determine that the concentration ofusers 400 b and 400 n are over a threshold number or percentage, e.g.,50 users, and then direct the replicated content to be stored on servers200 b and 200 n, which have been determined to be the closest servers tousers 400 b and 400 n. In yet another illustrative non-limiting example,the replication engine can determine that the users 400 a and 400 b havea history of viewing, e.g., media data, from the user 100, and requestreplication of only media data of the user 100 to be stored on servers200 a and 200 b. Of course, other examples are also contemplated by thepresent invention, including, use of historical usage patterns and anycombination of the above examples, etc.

Flow Diagrams

FIGS. 6 and 7 show exemplary flows for performing aspects of the presentinvention. The steps of FIGS. 6 and 7 may be implemented in any of theenvironments of FIGS. 1-5, for example. The flowcharts and blockdiagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, andoperation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computerprogram products according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or blockdiagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, whichincludes one or more executable instructions for implementing thespecified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in somealternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occurout of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown insuccession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or theblocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending uponthe functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer programproduct accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable mediumproviding program code for use by or in connection with a computer orany instruction execution system. The software and/or computer programproduct can be implemented in any one or more of the environments ofFIGS. 1-5.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary flow for a process in accordance withaspects of the present invention. At step 600, a user will connect to anetworking environment, e.g., local server on the networkingenvironment. At step 605, the content will be uploaded to the localserver or a central server, depending on the configuration of thenetworking environment. For example, the central server can be a localserver, which serves as a storage repository of information for theuser. In any scenario, at step 610, the replication engine is queried toanalyze which servers should receive replicated content for storage, tobe later retrieved by a friend and/or follower of the user. At step 615,the replication engine can make an analysis based one or a combinationof several criteria, including but not limited to:

-   -   preferences (profiles) of the user originating the content;    -   preferences (profiles) of the third parties requesting content        from the user. These preferences (profiles) may be the type of        data they like to view, the size of the data they prefer to        download, etc., any of which can be associated with the user or        other third parties, or friends of friends, etc.;    -   location of third parties in a cloud environment who are        associated with an originator of content, e.g., friends and/or        followers on a social network, and the location of servers        nearest to such third parties;    -   usage patterns of the third parties or portions thereof;    -   types of content that are retrieved by the third parties (i.e.,        types of files such as video files, pictures, etc.);    -   whether certain thresholds have been met, e.g., a certain amount        or percentage of third parties are at a certain location; and/or    -   what content should be replicated to certain servers based on,        for example, load balancing considerations, data type, data        size, etc.

At step 620, based on the above criteria, the processes of the presentinvention can replicate certain information for storage at certain,predetermined servers. For example, the replicating of the contentcomprises replicating the content on one or more servers closest to alocation of any of the one or more third parties that have a preferenceindicative of wanting to view the content. Similarly, the replication ofthe content comprises replicating the content on one or more serversclosest to a location of any of the one or more third parties that havehistorical usage patterns showing a pattern indicative of wanting toview similar content to the content. This same or similar analysis andreplication is provided for any of the examples provided herein, basedon the third party information.

At step 625, the information obtained during the analysis can be savedin a central storage, to be used at a later time for further analysis,e.g., replication and storage of content. For example, the preferences(profiles) of the originating user or the friends and/or followers canbe saved in a central storage so that this same information does notneed to be gathered again at a later time. The processes of the presentinvention can also use this saved information to perform historic usagepattern analysis, more readily determine locations of the originatinguser or the friends and/or followers and respective servers, etc.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary flow for a process in accordance withaspects of the present invention. At step 700, a network provider (e.g.,system or process) obtains information on the users and followers and/orfriends associated with the users. At step 705, a user publishes contenton their social network. This published content can include, amongstother information, status update, file information, media type, etc. Atstep 710, the system receives the published content by the user and mayreview this information for the type of information, the size of theinformation, etc.

At step 715, the system analyzes the followers and/or friends of theuser. This may include, for example, their location, preferences and/orprofiles, usage patterns and types of content typically viewed from theuser, etc. At step 720, the system determines the portion of followersand/or friends of that user by location. For example, the social networkprovider system determines how many users are located near each localserver and whether certain thresholds are met. Optionally, at step 725,historical access patterns may also be gathered, e.g., while most of auser's followers are in location #1, more users in location #2 playmovies posted by the user. By way of another example, depending on thecontext of the message certain users tend to be more likely to read thecontent, e.g., content about vacations, movies, and other events.

At step 730, the system determines whether the portion of followersand/or friends for each location, as determined from step 720, meetscriteria of replicating content. For example, the criteria may be athreshold of a percentage of followers being at a certain location or anumber of followers above a certain threshold, e.g., 100 are at acertain location. If the threshold is not met, then at step 735, theprocess ends. However, if the threshold is met, at step 740, the systemreplicates the content to those servers (datacenters) in the qualifiedlocation or location closest to that qualified location. At step 745,the followers and friends of the user can then access the content (orthe system publishes the aggregated content of each user'sfollowers/friends) at their local or nearest server. Since the contentis being served by a closer datacenter, the content is likely to bedisplayed faster or at a higher quality. Accordingly, the processes andsystems of the present invention help not only performance issues, butalso reduce the replication of content.

In embodiments, a service provider, such as a Solution Integrator, couldoffer to perform the processes described herein. In this case, theservice provider can create, maintain, deploy, support, etc., thecomputer infrastructure that performs the process steps of the inventionfor one or more customers. These customers may be, for example, anybusiness that uses technology. In return, the service provider canreceive payment from the customer(s) under a subscription and/or feeagreement and/or the service provider can receive payment from the saleof advertising content to one or more third parties.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: obtaining content from auser within a networked environment; analyzing information of one ormore third parties that have access to the networked environment and whohave an association with the user; and replicating the content to one ormore servers within the networked environment based on the analyzedinformation of the one or more third parties.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the analyzed information is a location of the one or more thirdparties and the replicating of the content comprises replicating thecontent on one or more servers closest to the location of the one ormore third parties.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: the analyzedinformation is one or more preferences of the one or more third parties;and the replicating of the content comprises replicating the content onone or more servers closest to a location of any of the one or morethird parties that have a preference indicative of wanting to view thecontent.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the analyzed information ishistorical patterns of the one or more third parties; and replicatingthe content comprises replicating the content on one or more serversclosest to a location of any of the one or more third parties that havehistorical usage patterns showing a pattern indicative of wanting toview similar content to the content.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe analyzed information is a type of content previously reviewed by theone or more third parties.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein thereplicating the content is based on a portion of the third parties beingat a certain location, and the portion is above a predeterminedthreshold
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined thresholdis a percentage of the one or more third parties being above a certainpercentage of all third parties associated with the user within a socialnetwork.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined thresholdis a number of the one or more third parties being above a certainnumber of third parties associated with the user within a socialnetwork.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked environment isa social network within a computing environment.
 10. A computer programproduct comprising a computer readable storage device having readableprogram code embodied in the storage device and when executed on acomputing system is operable to: obtain content from a user; determinelocations of third party users wanting to retrieve the content;determine a nearest server to each of the third party users wanting toretrieve the content; and replicate the content for storage on thenearest server of each of the third party users wanting to retrieve thecontent.
 11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the useris within a social network within a computing environment.
 12. Thecomputer program product of claim 11, wherein the computing system isoperable to replicate the content based on a portion of the third partyusers being at a certain location, and the portion is above apredetermined threshold.
 13. The computer program product of claim 12,wherein the predetermined threshold is a percentage of the one or morethird parties being above a certain percentage of all third partiesassociated with the user within the social network.
 14. The computerprogram product of claim 12, wherein the predetermined threshold is anumber of the one or more third parties being above a certain number ofthird parties associated with the user within the social network.